Battle of the Golden Spurs

The Battle of the Golden Spurs (11 July 1302), also known as the Battle of Courtrai, was a battle of the Franco-Flemish War that took place at Kortrijk in Flanders. The battle was a Flemish victory, with several French nobles (including King Louis IX of France's nephew Robert II of Artois) being slain in a battle that saw an all-infantry army overcome an army that depended on the shock attacks of mounted knights.

In 1297, King Philip IV of France invaded the County of Flanders to reassert French control over the region. In 1302, following King Philip's departure fom Flanders, the rebellious citizens of Bruges murdered every Frenchman they could find, and most of the towns of the County of Flanders agreed to join the rebellion. However, Ghent and much of the Flemish nobility remained loyal to France, fearing a takeover by the lower classes. King Philip immediately organized an invasion under Count Robert II of Artois to put down the rebellion. Meanwhile, the civic militias of several Flemish cities were assembled to counter the expected French attack.

When the two armies met outside the city of Courtrai, the Flemish town militia found themselves well-equipped and well-trained, wielding unique goedendag pole weapons. The French knights found themselves unable to charge effectively due to the presence of streams and ditches on the battlefield, and they failed to break the Flemish line of pikemen. The French knights were slaughtered, and the Flemish soldiers decided not to take prisoners; rather than accept the surrender of the French knights, they claimed that they did not speak French, and they slaughtered the surrendering nobles. Even the Count of Artois attempted to surrender, only to be cut down. With the French army defeated, the Flemish would consolidate their control over the county, but their victory would quickly be reversed. In 1305, the Flemish were forced to pay the French substantial tribute.